


Flashback

by teej_318



Series: Byler and Reddie Oneshots [4]
Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Comfort, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Nightmare, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, sleepover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-03 15:01:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19466416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teej_318/pseuds/teej_318
Summary: The Losers have a sleepover while Bev is in town visiting. Richie has a nightmare while sleeping and he confronts his biggest fear.





	Flashback

Eddie stifled a yawn as he climbed into his sleeping bag, which was next to Richie. Richie had already crawled into his sleeping bag and was laying down with his arms under his head, looking at Eddie expectantly. 

"What?" Eddie said defensively when he saw that Richie was watching him. 

"Nothing, Eds," Richie replied with a grin. "Just waiting on you to come to sleep. This is a sleepover, after all."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that, 'Chee," Eddie said irritably as he threw his sleeping bag's blanket over himself and lay down. He turned to face Richie, who was grinning at him. "Something on your mind, Rich?"

Richie's face faltered slightly, but it quickly morphed into his usual smiling self. 

"Nope, it's just been a while since we've had a sleepover with all The Losers like this. I've missed it, Eds."

"Well, thank goodness Bev is in town for a week then, otherwise we wouldn't have all been able to get together."

"Yeah," Richie said absently as he lay down properly in his sleeping bag and turned to face Eddie. "I'm glad that we're all here together. But I also miss just having sleepovers with just you, Eds."

"Don't call me that," Eddie said, grinning in spite of himself. "And yes, I miss our sleepovers, too. Maybe we can have one next week."

"I'd like that, Eddie Spaghetti. I know you need me to help protect you against the nightmares you always have."

"Oh, shut up, asshole!" Eddie snarled as he lightly slapped Richie on the arm. Richie feigned a severe injury, which caused Eddie to giggle.

"You slay me, Edward Spaghedward!"

"If you two don't shut the fuck up over there I'm going to come over and kick both of your asses," said Bev in a tired voice. 

Richie and Eddie grinned at each other and silently chuckled before Richie shouted back at Bev.

"Sorry, Beverly, darling. We'll try to keep it down."

"You'd better unless you want a firm kick in the ass!"

"Come on, Beverly, you know only Eddie's mom is allowed to kick my ass. And I must say, it sure as hell turns me on."

"Beep, beep, fuckwad," said Stan irritably. "And go the fuck to sleep."

"Certainly, Staniel!" Richie said as he dramatically lay back down on his sleeping bag, turning to face Eddie again, who was grinning at him.

"Seriously, though, we probably should get some sleep," Eddie whispered. "Don't want to be tired all day tomorrow while we hang out."

"You got that right, Eds. I'll see you in the morning, my love."

"Shush!" Eddie said. 

* * *

_ "Oh fuck, Eddie!" Richie shouted as Eddie seemed to disappear in the floor. "Eddie! Where'd you go?" _

_ "Now, now, Richie, you know the rules," said a terrifying voice that Richie recognized instantly. He shut his eyes in an attempt to convince himself that it was all fake. "You're not supposed to feel that way about the other boys. And what will happen when dear Eddie discovers your secret? He'll leave a disgusting faggot like you!" _

_ "Fuck you, you piece of shit asshole clown! We killed you! You're not real! You're just in my head!" _

_ "Maybe. But those feelings you have about Eddie are real and you know he'll leave you as soon as he finds out!" _

_ "NO! Get out of my head! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" _

* * *

Richie woke up with a gasp and immediately sat up in his sleeping bag. He was breathing heavily and could feel sweat all over his face. He glanced around and saw that everyone else was still asleep, meaning he hadn't been yelling in his sleep like he thought he was. Sighing in relief, Richie shook himself out of his sleeping bag as quietly as he could and stood up, stretching. He tiptoed through the living room, avoiding stepping on any of friends, before he picked up his pace and walked into the kitchen. He turned on the light and reached into the cabinet for a glass. He filled the glass with water and gulped it down quickly before refilling the glass. 

He sat down at the dining table as he tried to shake off the bad feeling the nightmare had given him. Richie closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else, but the nightmare was dominating his mind. 

"Richie?" said a familiar voice. 

Richie startled out of his daze, opening his eyes and glancing around. He calmed down when he saw Eddie standing in the kitchen doorway with a slight bed head.

"Hey, Eddie Spaghetti, what's up?" Richie said, trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice.

"I heard you get up and come in here. Are you okay, Richie?"

"Everything is just peachy keen, Eddie darling."

"Richie, please don't joke," Eddie said as he sat down at the dining table. "I can tell something is bothering you. Did you have a bad dream or something?"

"It's nothing, Eddie," Richie said, looking away from Eddie and staring at the glass of water in front of him.

"It can't be nothing, Richie. It's obviously bothering you. What happened?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Richie, come on," Eddie said as he reached across the table and grabbed onto one of Richie's hands. "You know you can tell me anything, Richie. I won't judge you."

Richie took a deep sigh.

"I keep having dreams about It," he whispered.

Eddie nodded at him. "That's not too surprising, Rich. I'm pretty sure we've all had bad dreams about It returning and trying to get us. But he's dead, Richie. He's gone."

"We don't know that for sure," Richie said quickly. "Anyway, it's not It that I'm scared of and what's bothering me."

"Then what is it?"

"Like I said, Eds, it doesn't matter."

"Richie, please just tell me. I want to know what's hurting or scaring you. I want to help you, Richie."

"I don't deserve your pity, Eddie."

"Why would you think that?"

Richie shook his head.

"You don't have to worry about it, Eddie. It's not your problem. It's mine."

"Richie, you can tell me. I promise you, it won't make me think badly about you, whatever it is. You can trust me, Richie. You know that."

Richie took a deep breath before he finally looked Eddie in the eyes. When he did, he saw Eddie's eyes were full of something, certainly nothing negative. If he weren't mistaken, Richie would say that Eddie's eyes looked full of love, but he shook that thought off.

"I keep hearing It talk about my biggest fear," Richie said lowly. "And it's not clowns, not really, Eds. It's you leaving me."

"Rich, I would never--"

"Wait, there's more," Richie said, cutting Eddie off. Eddie just nodded at him and squeezed Richie's hand a little tighter. "I'm scared of you leaving me because of the way I feel about you." Richie hesitated. "I like you, Eddie. I like you a lot. I can't stop thinking about you and the only thing I care about is making sure that you're safe and happy. I know that probably sounds super weird, but it's true, Eddie. I don't know what it is, but I just want to protect you, Eddie, and make you happy and make you forget all the bad things that have happened to you.

"I think I love you, Eddie. And I'm sorry if you don't want that and it's okay if you don't feel the same way."

"Richie," Eddie whispered. Richie stopped talking and looked deeply into Eddie's eyes again as Eddie leaned forward and kissed him. Richie was taken aback by Eddie's sudden movement but couldn't, no wouldn't, find it in himself to pull away. Eddie Kapsbrak,  _ his _ Eddie Kaspbrak was kissing him. This couldn't be real life.

" _ But it is real life _ ," said a voice in his head.

Richie ignored the voice and kept kissing Eddie, who seemed to melt into the kiss. They cupped each other's cheeks as they kept kissing. Finally, they pulled apart. Richie simply stared at Eddie in shock. Eddie was smiling shyly at him.

"What was that?" Richie asked.

"It was a kiss, dumbass," Eddie replied, rolling his eyes.

"But why?"

"Richie are you actually asking me that?" Richie nodded. "Because I love you, too, Richie."

"You do?"

"Yes! I thought you knew how I felt about you! I only call you names and act like I'm annoyed with you because I want you to notice me, 'Chee. I love it when you call me Eds or Eddie Spaghetti or any other goofy name you call me. And I love it when you make me laugh and when you hold my hand and when you hug me, and, fuck it, I love everything about you, Richie. I love you."

Richie stared at Eddie in shock for several seconds.

"Thank god," he muttered as he leaned forward and pulled Eddie into another kiss.

They kissed for several moments before they pulled apart again, both of them blushing profusely.

"Are you okay now?" Eddie asked quietly. Richie nodded. "We should probably go back to sleep, 'Chee."

"Okay, Eds," Richie said as he drank the rest of his water and stood up with Eddie, who pulled Richie's hand out of the kitchen and through the living room. Eddie lay back down in his sleeping bag and Richie did, too. They scooted closer to each other so they could hold hands.

"I'll be here when you wake up, Richie. I promise."

"I know. I think I'll be okay now."

"You will be, 'Chee," Eddie said as he leaned forward and gave Richie a kiss on the forehead. Richie closed his eyes after Eddie's kiss and his body visibly relaxed. "I love you, Richie."

"I love you, too, Eds." 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! Plenty more Reddie and Byler one-shots to come this month!


End file.
